The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating an edit decision list which is particularly applicable to the production of broadcast news programs as well as to other types of programs.
Traditionally, when a news program in a broadcast station is produced, the audio/video materials available to an editor to create the program materials used during the actual news broadcast are edited in an editing room of the broadcast station. A journalist creates a text document or script corresponding to video program materials; and the text document is read by a news announcer in accord with the program materials during the news broadcast.
The text document prepared by the journalist is created in accordance with the running time of video program material to be displayed. In other words, the length of time of the text to be used with the video is calculated based on an estimation which considers, for example, the reading speed of the announcer reading the text document.
The editor creates an edit decision list by displaying video images selected from among the audio/video materials stored in a video tape recorder. The corresponding audio display is outputted from a speaker. Using the video display and audio output, the editor prepares an edit decision list (EDL) based on the running time of the program material to be displayed during the news broadcast. The EDL specifies the order of combining clips which the editor has selected from the audio/video materials.
Before the news broadcast begins, the journalist or announcer visually checks the edited audio/video material on a monitor to confirm that the edited audio/video material matches in length of time, the contents of the text document created by the journalist.
There is a current need for an editing apparatus which allows an edit decision list to be created wherein text information corresponding to the audio/video clips selected by the editor from a plurality of stored audio/video materials is displayed with indicators which confirm for the editor that the edited audio/video material matches, in length of time, the contents of the text document created by the journalist.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which makes the editing process of a broadcast program, such as a news program, a more efficient operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for creating an edit decision list which allows an editor or a journalist to display both audio/video material and a corresponding text document of the program materials which make up the news program in a manner whereby the editor can visually determine if the audio/video materials and corresponding text are synchronized in terms of time.
Various other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an editing apparatus for combining a plurality of stored video and audio materials in order to produce an edited video and audio display. The editing apparatus comprises an input for inputting textual data and a display for displaying various indication marks. The indication marks have lengths corresponding to, for example, the display time of the video clip. The indication marks are positioned along a time line so an operator can visually check and compare the lengths of the indication marks for the video material, audio material, special effects material or any other additional material. Other indication marks, having lengths which correspond to the amount of inputted textual data also are displayed along a time line.
The indication marks having lengths corresponding to the amount of inputted textual data are displayed in synchronization with the indication marks corresponding to the display time of the specified video and/or audio material or any other material represented by an indication mark. Thus, an operator can make editing decisions by visually comparing the indication marks. For instance, the operator visually compares video material indication marks with textual data indication marks in order to confirm that the video and audio data to be read by the announcer during the news broadcast are synchronized.